Lily and James: How It All Began
by Slytherin's Cliffy Queen
Summary: A story told from James' point of view...starts at the summer before the first year at Hogwarts and goes thru until the deaths...please RR!
1. The Old Life

James Potter awoke at six o'clock two months after his eleventh birthday very groggily. This day was also the day his friend's cousin was having her 11th birthday party.   
  
James couldn't wait for September 1. This day was going to be one of the best of his life: the beginning of his life at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a school where he would be going since he got accepted. And, since his mother and father were a witch and wizard, he had known he would be accepted ever since they first mentioned Hogwarts. His parents had never shut up about it as James had been growing up; telling him everything he needed to know about Hogwarts was something they refused to not do.   
  
As James put on his clothes so he could go out and meet up with Remus and his other friend Sirius, the family house-elf (his family was rich) Moxby came up to him and asked what he fancied for breakfast.  
  
"Something I can grab on the go," was all James replied, and Moxby left the room. James then put on his socks and ran down the staircase to find his parents awake and ready to give yet another lecture about running down the stairs.  
  
"I know, sorry, but I'm in a rush, you didn't wake me up early enough!" said James to them, running into the kitchen to grab the food that was prepared for him (a sausage biscuit, eggs, and a hash brown) and left. Remus lived right down the street a block, so James was at his front door in five minutes. He had arrived just in time; Remus was getting into the car with Sirius right behind him.  
  
"You're late, man!" said Sirius, giving his buddy a slap on the back. James grabbed his hand and they all said their 'hellos' before heading off.  
  
"We have to pick up your friend Peter on our way over," said Remus' mother, turning onto White Willow Road.  
  
"Okay," replied Remus as they arrived at Peter's house.  
  
"What, the boy's too lazy to walk over to our house?" asked James as Peter walked out the door and to the car. James and Sirius squeezed together to allow for room for Peter.  
  
"Hello Peter," said Remus' mother as she began driving towards the house where the birthday party was to be held.  
  
"Whose house is this we are going to anyway?" asked James, and Remus responded.  
  
"My cousin Vanessa. Sirius has met her already," he said, and Sirius blushed.  
  
"That says a lot," said James sarcastically as the four laughed.  
  
"Hey!" said Sirius. "I don't like her," he said, but James gave him the look of 'You know you do' and Sirius nodded.  
  
"Don't worry, we won't make fun of you for it," said James, opening the roof. He stuck his head out of the roof and saw a very beautiful girl with ginger hair and green eyes walking on the sidewalk. His eyes stuck on her as if they were glued. She looked over at him, blushed, and then looked back at the ground. Remus' mother forgot the house number again, so he stopped the girl to ask her if she knew where Vanessa lived.  
  
"Excuse me. I'm looking for Vanessa Finite. Do you happen to know where she lives?"  
  
"Yes, um-" she replied, wondering what his name was.  
  
"Remus Lupin," said Remus, smiling.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Remus. Vanessa lives right here," said the girl, pointing to the house at the end of the street.  
  
"Thanks, um-"  
  
"Lily," said the girl. "Lily Evans."  
  
"Thanks Lily. I'd better go, my cousin is expecting me," said Remus.  
  
"Oh are you the one she is talking about?" asked Lily, giggling.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"She told me to keep a lookout because a very forgetful boy and his mom would be arriving to her party soon," explained Lily.  
  
"Oh. What relation are you to Vanessa? I've seen you here before and all, but normally I'm just talking to my friends," said Remus, as Lily looked on top of the car to see James, and then looked inside to see Sirius and Peter. Sirius' and James' eyes were all fixed on Lily.  
  
"Vanessa and I are best friends," said Lily, staring at the immature boys in the back seat. "Are those your friends?" Lily asked, laughing as she pointed at Sirius and James, who were both sticking their heads out the roof.  
  
"Them? Oh yeah. You'll meet them at the party," said Remus, grinning.  
  
"Okay. I have to go and get changed anyway. See you in a few," said Lily, smiling and running towards her house. James' eyes followed her until they no longer could see beyond her door.  
  
Remus got back into the car to find James, Sirius, and Peter laughing their heads off.  
  
"What's so funny?" he asked them, and Peter immediately spoke his first words of the day.  
  
"You were flirting with that girl! That Lily girl!" said Peter, continuing to laugh.  
  
"So?" asked Remus, Sirius, and James simultaneously.  
  
They turned their eyes upon each other.  
  
"Wait, do you guys like her?" asked Remus, laughing.  
  
"She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" said James dreamily.  
  
"Snap out of it man!" said Sirius, slapping James on the back. "And to answer your question Remus, no I do not. I admit she's pretty, but Vanessa is better," said Sirius, laughing.   
  
As they got out of the car, Vanessa greeted them. She appeared to have been watching them talk to Lily, as the first thing she said after greeting them was "I see you've all met Lily, my best friend."  
  
Yes, thought James, and you better not mind me having a crush on her, the beautiful girl. I wonder what she'd be like—  
  
"Snap out of it!" said Sirius playfully, having seen James zone out like never before.  
  
James tried to stifle a laugh, however was unsuccessful. The gang and Vanessa walked into the backyard and jumped into the pool after taking off the clothes that were on top of it. Just then, another girl showed up. She had short brown hair and was as thin as a toothpick. The first thing she said when she arrived was "The party is here!"  
  
"No, the party can't start without Miss B-e-a-utiful," James found himself saying under his breath. He had never before fallen so deeply for a girl with just one vision of her. This girl, as far as he could tell, was different. She wasn't ordinary. And he knew this well.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Lily showed up in her bathing suit. She ran right over to Vanessa, who had kicked the short and toothpick-thin girl named Petunia out of the party right after she had arrived.  
  
James' eyes wandered right over to her. She had ginger brown hair and lovely green eyes, and her hair, which was back in a ponytail right now, was down to her waist. James and Sirius walked over to Lily and Vanessa, who were in the middle of a conversation.  
  
"Yeah, Sir--" said Vanessa, who had just seen Sirius and James walk over.  
  
"What, now you're talking about me?" said Sirius in a joke-sort of way.  
  
James' eyes were still upon Lily. She appeared to have noticed, because the next thing he heard was, "What are you looking at?"  
  
Lily was looking at him. Feeling flattered, he figured he'd show off how great of a person he was. He jumped into the pool, however didn't know how to swim. He had figured, being a wizard, that he could save himself 'miraculously', however was unsuccessful. Remus jumped into the pool but James was running out of breath.  
  
"Hang on a sec," said Lily, jumping in. She dove right under James and picked him up. Once he was above the water, he looked at her with grateful eyes. Remus was now treading water in the other end though, so she swam over to him. After pulling him out of the water, Sirius playfully said, "Little Miss Swimmer! Can you save me?"  
  
James stared at Sirius as Vanessa held him back. "Do you know how to swim?"  
  
"Yes, I was just joking," said Sirius, suddenly grabbing Vanessa and pushing her into the pool. Vanessa came up coughing; it was as if someone had tried to drown her but had been unsuccessful. Lily ran over to help her friend out of the pool, but then she too started laughing. At that very moment, an owl swooped down upon Vanessa and left a letter there. She, still shaking from the shock, walked aside with Lily, and James could have sworn he heard her whisper, "That was one of the best things of my life!" when Vanessa began opening the letter. Sirius came up from behind her and started reading it. James, with the look on Sirius' face, knew what that letter read.  
  
"YOU'RE A WITCH!?" screamed both Sirius and James simultaneously.  
  
"Potter, do you ever wonder why I don't want you here?"  
  
"I didn't mean it--" said James, but was cut off by Lily.  
  
"What is that about? It is her birthday, be nice to the girl."  
  
"If you kiss me I will," said James as a joke. He didn't mean it badly; he meant it seriously of course. Lily looked at him as if he had five arms before responding.  
  
"Why would I want to disgust myself?"  
  
"Bad luck James," said Sirius, laughing. Vanessa followed suit.  
  
"Why did you call Vanessa a witch?" she asked after calming herself from such an atrocious question.  
  
"It's a bit of a--" James tried to respond before being cut off by Sirius.  
  
"—Secret," finished Sirius, looking at Vanessa.  
  
"One that a Muggle like yourself shouldn't know," Peter said, walking over.  
  
"What's a Muggle?" asked Lily, and they all fell silent.  
  
James could tell from the look on her face that she was feeling hurt. She stormed away without even grabbing her towel and began running down the street. Once out of the gate, James saw her begin to walk. Figuring that it was time with her away from Sirius to ruin the moment, he decided to follow her. However, Remus was ahead of him.  
  
Suddenly, Lily turned around. Remus appeared to have called her, and the two of them stopped. Remus walked over to her and James snuck up, wanting to hear what they were saying.  
  
"Are you okay?" Remus asked, clearly concerned.  
  
"Yes, I think so. I just have never heard of a 'Muggle' before, so I don't know what it is," said Lily, and Remus nodded.  
  
"It's not an insult; it's just a word some people use for non-magic people," said Remus, hoping Lily wouldn't question him further. However, at this definition, she looked at him strangely.  
  
"But there's no such thing as magic people, according to my sister," said Lily. Her sister may have hated her, however she loved her all the same.  
  
"Yes there is. Your friend just got accepted to a big school for her to learn magic, that's what the big fuss is over. James and Sirius didn't call her a witch rudely, they meant it seriously," explained Remus, and Lily flung her arms around him.  
  
This was too much for James. Feeling quite upset that she didn't want to kiss him, even though he had meant it as a joke, he walked dejectedly back to the party. Lily looked back to see him walking back alone though, so she and Remus stood up and walked over to him. Remus kept walking and went back into the party, clearly completely excited, and, as James thought, who wouldn't have been? Queen of Beauty and Kindness had just hugged him!  
  
Lily stared at James as if she was surveying him. "What, did you follow me too?" she asked, as if she had never seen a guy before.  
  
"Um, yeah. Sorry," he said as he began to turn around, but Lily grabbed his arm.  
  
"Sorry, I didn't think you had called Vanessa a witch as a compliment, I thought it was an insult," she said before letting go. He didn't run away though, he was trying to fix the words she spoke to him in his memory. This must have given him a bad eye fix though, because Lily moved her head to ask him what he was looking at.  
  
"Sorry, zoned out a bit," he said, starting to walk back to the party. Lily followed him.  
  
The two talked the whole way back. It turned out they had a lot in common. Upon their arrival back, they had cake. James couldn't stop thinking about Lily. Suddenly he saw the cake levitate and land itself upon the other girl that had been at the party, Petunia. Lily put her hands over her mouth. James stared at her.  
  
"What was that?" they asked, excited.  
  
"I don't know," said Lily truthfully.  
  
James and his friends exchanged glances. Lily saw these and asked what was going on.  
  
"Nothing," they all said, a bit quickly.  
  
She questioned their honesty, however had to let it be. Ten minutes later, James and his crew had to leave.  
  
"I'll see you later," said Vanessa to Lily as she too left. Remus hugged her before her departure and James wanted to, but resisted the temptation and just shook her hand.  
  
"We'll see each other again soon, I think," said James, meaning it. Lily looked confused, however walked out all the same. James then went and said his goodbyes to Vanessa and let her in on the secret: that Lily was probably a witch too.  
  
"Yes, she probably is. Her birthday is tomorrow though, so we'll find out then," replied Vanessa. Remus came over and told James that they had to leave though, and so they all left.  
  
A week later was August 29. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were all going to Diagon Alley on this day, and Remus said that Vanessa was going as well. When James asked him if Vanessa had mentioned Lily, Remus looked at him strangely.  
  
"Why would you want to know?" he asked, and at the pained expression on James' face, Remus went on, "Yeah, we're meeting both her and Vanessa at the ice cream parlor."   
  
James tried not to look too intrigued by this news. However, he had a problem hiding his real motive: to talk to her and possibly make his move.  
  
At one o'clock, the marauders went to meet Lily and Vanessa. Sirius ran in and noticed immediately that all the chairs were set up for a diner--two per table. Sirius took the seat by Vanessa, who, James noticed, turned to Lily really happily and mouthed something looking rather like "OH MY GOD!" James then found Lily sitting in a corner, looking like she was buried in a book. Remus had started walking over to her already though, so he just held back. Lily must have said something to him though, as he walked away from the table rather dejectedly. James, seizing the opportunity, walked over to her and greeted her in a quite friendly manner.  
  
"Hello, Lily," he said, and Lily's eyes stayed glued to her book. Lily, about five seconds later, asked him what he was doing there.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you about something," he said, trying to gather up courage.  
  
"Shoot," she said, flipping the page.  
  
"Not here, I need to talk to you in private," he said, looking at Remus. Remus appeared to be questioning his sanity.  
  
"It's private enough over here. Shoot," Lily repeated, turning the next page.  
  
James looked at the book. "What is that about?" he asked, and Lily lifted the book to show him the cover.  
  
"An Newbie's Guide to Basic Hexes. Having fun?" he asked mischievously, and Lily caught him.  
  
"I have no intention of having fun. In the back of this book is how to reflect the hexes, and I need to know how to stop them from harming me," Lily explained, as another two boys accompanied by four girls stepped into the ice cream parlor.  
  
One of the boys had greasy black hair, and, James noticed, seemed to have a keen eye out for Lily. The other boy had silver-bleach blonde hair, and appeared to be with someone that Sirius immediately recognized--  
  
"Narcissa?" Sirius asked, and the girl that was holding hands with the blonde-haired boy turned around. The girl appeared to be named Narcissa, because she recognized Sirius immediately...  
  
"My cousin, dear, how are you? I expect these are all your friends?" she asked Sirius, motioning to the rest of the room. Sirius nodded, and the girl leaned forward. James sent an Eavesdropping Charm across, so he heard what followed.  
  
"Are any of them Mudbloods?" she asked him in a whisper, however James heard her loud and clear.  
  
"No, they aren't. Well, the guys aren't. Vanessa and Lily are Muggle- born, but-"  
  
"NO BUTS! No Mudbloods are to be related to us! Got that?" she told Sirius stubbornly, but he shook his head very clearly.  
  
"Anyway," Narcissa continued, "this is Lucius Malfoy," she said, pointing to the boy with bleach-blonde hair, "and this is Severus Snape, his friend," she said, pointing to the boy with greasy hair.  
  
James surveyed this Severus Snape man. He clearly never took a shower, and if he did he didn't show it at all. The boy seemed to have caught Lily's attention, for she picked up her book and walked outside the parlor.  
  
James followed her. "What are you doing out here?" he asked.  
  
"Trying to avoid everyone that is annoying me," she said, her nose now buried in The Complete Guide to Transfiguration.  
  
"That guy over there seems to like you," said James, pointing to Snape.  
  
"Well, you see, I'm not exactly interested in guys right now. There are more important things, including school and learning. I'll look over and read up on that stuff first," said Lily, putting her nose back in the book.  
  
"Give it a break, woman! You'll do fine, the first week at Hogwarts no one does anything anyway," he said, and Lily looked at him. She was beautiful, even though she didn't have on any makeup. He opened his mouth to tell her to join his crew when Severus Snape walked out of the parlor and asked James to scoot over.  
  
"I'm talking to Lily," said James, and Snape pulled out his wand. James followed suit, but Snape was too quick. The next moment James was on the floor, wriggling in pain.  
  
Lily took out her wand and cast the only spell she knew so far on Snape.  
  
"Tarotnam," said Lily, and suddenly Snape turned into a rat. James, now not having the wand pointing at him anymore, stood up, shaken. He hadn't expected an attack before he even went to Hogwarts! However, Lily, a first year like himself, already could do human transfiguration. That was not normal. That was the mark of a talented witch, because she must have taught herself how to do the spell, and most fifth years couldn't even do human transfiguration! James turned to Lily to thank her, but she was gone.  
  
"Where'd she go?" he asked himself aloud as he left the rat version of Snape scurrying over to Lucius Malfoy.  
  
On September 1st, James and his crew met up and got on the train in their own compartment. James saw Lily passing with Vanessa, and Remus opened up the door inviting them in. They looked at each other, shrugged, and they walked in.  
  
James scooted over making room for Lily between himself and Remus, and Sirius moved over, making room for Vanessa next to him.  
  
As Lily and Vanessa sat down, James blushed.  
  
"Why are you going red man?" asked Sirius playfully, slapping James' face. Lily looked at him curiously and then took out her book again.  
  
"What's that?" James asked Lily, grabbing the book. It was a novel by the author Stephen King, named Cycle of the Werewolf. Remus squirmed a bit in his seat then noticed James staring at him. He went back to curling up, and then James gave Lily back the book.  
  
"Is it good?" he asked, and Lily nodded, going back to reading. Sirius then grabbed the book from her telling her "No reading in this compartment."  
  
Lily snatched back her book, grabbed her stuff, and walked out of the train compartment.  
  
"Does she talk?" Sirius asked, but James was already walking down after her. She seemed to have found another compartment so James followed her in.  
  
"Lily, sorry about that, that's just Sirius, that's how he acts, he's a prank man," said James, but Lily just buried herself in the book again.  
  
"Lily, I'm serious. Why don't you want to talk to me?" he asked, and she looked at him.  
  
"I would have thought that obvious. I told you, James Potter, I don't talk to guys, as I don't want them fawning over me. Good day, Mr. Potter," she said, putting the book in front of her face yet again. But James wasn't going to give up that easily.  
  
"Please, Lily, just come back into our compartment," he said with pleading eyes. Lily therefore must have avoided them, as she remained secluded from the world reading her book.  
  
As James left, he ran into Remus, who was standing outside the compartment.  
  
"Sorry Remus," he said, walking back to his own compartment. However, he walked back to Lily's compartment and managed to hear a bit of Remus' and Lily's conversation.  
  
"Sorry about him," said Remus. "He just hasn't met anyone as pretty as you before."  
  
"Remus, I told you, please stop with the compliments. I may look easy but I'm not, and I also do not appreciate having men close to kneeling at my feet. Please leave, and tell James, who is sitting outside listening to this conversation, not to try and eavesdrop again."  
  
"God, she's pretty-no, beautiful, and smart," he said as Remus walked out the door dejectedly.  
  
"Lily, how'd you know James was out here?"  
  
"He doesn't seem the type to give up easily," she said, going back to her book.  
  
"You bet I'm not," he said, walking back to his own compartment with Remus. 


	2. The Beginning of a New Life

Upon their arrival at Hogwarts, James went in to tell Lily that they had arrived. She was at the end of the chapter she was reading and therefore finished quickly before putting in a bookmark. He walked out and brought Lily to the boats, and, watching Vanessa take the fourth space in the boat with Sirius, Remus, and Peter, James stayed with Lily.  
  
"Sorry, their boat's full," said James, sitting next to Lily. They were followed onto the boat by two familiar boys.  
  
"Hello Severus, Lucius," said Lily, managing a smile. James was confused.  
  
"Hey, you talk to them yet you won't talk to me?" James asked, hurt.  
  
"They don't stalk me like you do! Get out of my boat NOW!" she said, but James wouldn't move. He only saw her face for a minute before being pushed into the watery depths beneath the boats.  
  
Everyone crowded around, and even Lily looked worried. However, a minute later, James popped back up, apparently pushed back into the boat by the giant squid. He looked around and heard lots of clapping, even some from Lily herself. She gave a gorgeous smile before they kept heading for shore.  
  
As they got out of the boat, James finally had gotten some information out of Lily. She was indeed Vanessa's best friend, and a Muggleborn witch. She had a sister Petunia who seemed to hate her as well, and she was more into guy things than girl things. Makeup and hair weren't her priorities, reading and school were. He nodded in agreement as she told him this, and she flashed him yet another smile. She actually seemed to be enjoying herself.  
  
Sooner than he had wished it was time for the Sorting. Going by everything she had told him, she seemed like the type for a Ravenclaw, not Gryffindor as he expected to be placed in. He didn't want to separate from her though for some reason.  
  
Professor McGonagall led the first years through the castle and down the middle of the Great Hall. As she explained what was about to be done to them, many let out sighs of relief. It was common behavior from Hogwarts students to lie and tell incoming first years that the Sorting Ceremony was difficult.  
  
It was then that the Sorting began. Professor McGonagall called each student up alphebetically.  
  
"Abbott, Arthur!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
Arthur hurried over to the Hufflepuff table, crossing his fingers.  
  
"Andres, Amanda!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
At this, James noticed, Arthur smiled, and upon Amanda's arrival at the table he understood why—they were best friends.  
  
"Black, Narcissa!"  
  
Sirius' cousin went up to the Hat, bravely yet with a stubborn look on her face.  
  
"SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted after much time. Narcissa, looking relieved, walked over to the Slytherin table just in time before McGonagall called out the next name.  
  
"Black, Sirius!"  
  
Sirius walked up to the hat, almost pleading it to not put him in Slytherin.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Sirius walked to the Gryffindor table happily, saving five more seats by him. The hat continued sorting people then, without many more additions to Gryffindor or Slytherin.  
  
"Bones, Terry!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Bonzer, Amelia!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Boot, Matt!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Brahurst, Daphne!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Buson, Bellatrix!"  
  
Sirius' other cousin walked up to the Hat, and the second it touched her head, it shouted out--  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
Bellatrix gave Sirius a disbelieving 'traitor' look and walked over by Narcissa.  
  
"Candry, Linda!"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
There was lots of applause from the Gryffindor table at this, for no one had been added to them recently.  
  
"Caxry, Carly!"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Chang, Mang!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Chong, Minnie!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Crabbe, Michael!"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Evans, Lily!"  
  
James stared at Lily longingly as she sat on the stool. The hat sat on her head for at least a minute and a half before calling out where she would be.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
James breathed a sigh of relief and watched Lily walk over to the Gryffindor table. Sirius opened up one of the seats he was saving and let Lily sit there. She was opposite Sirius and over a seat.  
  
"Gandry, Ingrid!"  
  
One of the twin Gandry sisters walked up to find out where she'd be.  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Gandry, Patricia!"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
"They must be bloody different," said James to Remus.  
  
"Goyle, Gregory!"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Hanker, Amanda!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Langrod, Gretchen!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Longbottom, Frank!"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
A short stubby boy that looked like a boy version of Lily (a brain) walked over to the Gryffindor table. Sirius, not having saved a seat for him, showed him where to sit. James gave a silent chuckle before the sorting continued.  
  
"Longwood, Alice!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Lupin, Remus!"  
  
Remus walked up to the stool. It muttered something like 'full moon' in his ear, but that was all James heard before the hat shouted out, "GRYFFINDOR!" At that, Remus walked over to the table and took the seat on the right of Lily, leaving only the space across from Sirius open.  
  
"Macmillen, Ernie!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Macnair, Scott!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Malfoy, Lucius!"  
  
Lucius walked up to the stool, and as soon as the hat saw him it shouted out "SLYTHERIN!" Lucius blushed a bit at the hat's knowledge of who he was before he even put it on but shoook it off.  
  
"Mondra, Jessica!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Pandra, Hannah!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Parkinson, Parker!"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Patil, Peng!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Pensird, Petunia!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Perks, Smit!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Pettigrew, Peter!"  
  
James looked at Peter. He never really liked him, he was more of just Remus' friend than his own. However, it was a huge shocker when the hat shouted out "GRYFFINDOR!" James watched Peter walk over to Sirius and the saved seats, taking the one across from Remus. James knew who was next.  
  
"Potter, James!"  
  
James stumbled forward, hoping no one noticed his fear. If he didn't make Gryffindor--  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
He was saved. He nearly ran to the Gryffindor table, taking the seat next to Lily, who looked at him, smiled, and pulled back out her book.  
  
"Prewitt, Vanessa!"  
  
Vanessa walked forward, and James saw Sirius cross his fingers. It was a relief when the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" Sirius smiled, breathed a sigh of relief, and allowed Vanessa to take the seat opposite Lily, between Peter and Sirius.  
  
"Smith, Danielle!"  
  
The next girl was beautiful, and her last name was frightening. Even though Smith was a common last name, the current Minister of Magic was Michael Smith, and that could be Danielle's father. James still thought Lily was prettier, but Lily looked at the girl, stunned. James and Remus both leaned to Lily at the same time, but Remus reached her first, and James heard what he told her. "Don't worry, you're prettier than anyone." Lily looked at him and gave him the largest smile she could manage and James backed away. He had wanted to tell Lily the same thing, but Remus had told her first. James looked at the hat just in time before it sorted Danielle.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Danielle ran over and took a seat by James. The girl smirked at Lily, kissing James on the cheek, and whispering in his ear, "Hey hot stuff."  
  
James looked at Lily, whose nose had just popped up to watch the next person sorted.  
  
"Snape, Severus!"  
  
James made one last prayer—"Please keep him away from Lily."  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
No one was happier than James at this pronouncement. Snape walked over to the Slytherin table, slipping on the way.  
  
"Turpin, John!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Wood, Frank!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Xendra, Jeniffer!"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
Being the last person sorted, McGonagall walked over to the empty seat behind the teachers' table and hit her glass to get silence.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore," she said, as the man, who was clearly over one hundred years of age, stood up and waved to everyone.  
  
"Welcome, welcome, to yet another year at Hogwarts. This is my first year trying the position of Headmaster, as Professor Dippit passed away last year. In honor of his death, we are having a Halloween Ball, one of the touches he always wanted to continue. However, this is only open to couples. Guys also ask the girls, not girls asking the guys."  
  
At this, James looked at Lily, and then looked at Remus, Snape, and even Peter. They all were staring at Lily.  
  
Sirius must have noticed this, as he said, "If looks could kill, poor Lily would be dead by now, with all those pairs of eyes on her." Lily blushed a bit and then went back to looking at Dumbledore.  
  
"Let us now enjoy our magnificent feast!"  
  
As they began to eat, James couldn't stop looking at Lily. He resolved to himself that he would be nice to her no matter what.  
  
That night, a new Gryffindor prefect told them the password.  
  
"The new password is Totalum Nearmun. When you want to get into the common room, just come up to this portrait and say those words and the portrait will open. Like so. Totalum Nearmun"  
  
James watched the portrait open to reveal a red and gold room, with winding stairs on all sides.   
  
"Boys dorms are upstairs on this far stairway to the left, girls, the same on your right. All your belongings should be there already."  
  
James nodded, as did all the new Gryffindor students. When he got upstairs in his dorm, he saw his stuff all on his new four-poster bed, and immediately got to work hanging it up. Soon after James was joined by Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Frank Longbottom, the other new Gryffindor first years. After he completed his work for the night, James fell down and fell asleep.   
  
The following day, James awoke and walked down the stairs to see the five new Gryffindor first year girls already sitting there. He was immediately confronted by Danielle, who seemed to have taken a liking to him. Patricia, one of the Gandry sisters, also seemed to have taken a liking to a Gryffindor—Sirius. James walked back up to his dorm, telling the boys that the girls were already up and ready for their first class, which began in five minutes.  
  
Sirius and Remus got immediately out of bed, used the spell they had taught themselves to get changed in a second into their robes, and ran down the stairs. However, the girls were gone. As Sirius, Remus, and James began walking, they were soon joined by Peter and Frank, who were trailing behind. Peter caught up to his friends, who appeared to have caught up to Lily and Vanessa. Lily was in between James and Remus, and Vanessa was between Remus and Sirius. Peter walked next to Sirius and they arrived at Transfiguration just in time.  
  
"I am Professor McGonagall, and today we shall begin with easy transfiguration, so please open your books to page five. I am aware that one of you students has already done human transfiguration," the class looked at Lily, "but we will not begin that until your late third year or your fourth year here. I must congratulate Miss Evans here first however, for already learning human transfiguration."  
  
Everyone clapped for Lily, who once again was blushing. But no one was blushing more than Snape, who, of course, had been the target of the transfiguration.  
  
"Today we will be learning how to turn paperclips into matchboxes," said Professor McGonagall. "The first two students done will not have to do the homework. Everyone repeat after me—Patchclox!"  
  
"Patchclox!" said each student.  
  
They then all picked up their wands and tried the spell.  
  
"Patchclox!" said James, wand pointed at the paperclip. The paperclip immediately turned into a matchbox, and then he realized he was the second one done—Lily also was done, her matchbox being bigger and more detailed.  
  
"We have our winners. Everyone else practice the spell, I need to talk to Miss Evans and Mr. Potter," said McGonagall, as she stepped outside the room with them.  
  
Once they got outside the door, Professor McGonagall shut the door behind them.  
  
"I do not know how you two got the spell mastered so quickly, however you two are both very talented in this field. Miss Evans, I had expected you to, as you have already done a human transfiguration. What do you think the students' homework should be tonight?" asked McGonagall, and James and Lily both shook their heads.  
  
"You two stay out here and think of their homework, I have to continue teaching, since only two other students have mastered the spell as we were out here," said McGonagall.   
  
"Let me guess who—Sirius and Remus?" asked James, and McGonagall nodded.  
  
"Yes, how did you know that Potter?" she asked, but got no response. "Well, I'd best be back to class. Come in when you have the homework planned for the other students."  
  
As McGonagall left James and Lily to their lonesome outside the classroom, inside a dark, enclosed area, James blushed. He doubted Lily saw this though, as it was dark enough to hide his embarrassment. He had been locked in a room with the person he most wanted to be with but now couldn't speak to her.  
  
Lily spoke first. "Alright, since you know I don't exactly appreciate dark, enclosed spaces, let's just come up with their homework and that'll be it."  
  
James had trouble holding his tounge and what he had been thinking slipped out.  
  
"I wouldn't want to be in here with anyone besides you, Lily."  
  
At this, Lily kicked open the door with power he didn't even know she had. She was just about to walk out when James continued.   
  
"I'm sorry Lily! Please come back in, we'll just come up with the poor students' homework then?"  
  
She looked at him, and with the light outside he figured she had probably seen that he wasn't lying.  
  
"Well, what do you suggest, Mr. Potter?" she asked, closing the door once more.  
  
"I don't know. Should we just conjure paperclips all over and they have to find ten of them and transfigure them into matchboxes tonight then bring them in tomorrow?"  
  
"Good idea. Let's go, I want to get back to my book," said Lily, opening the door once more.   
  
"What book?" James asked.  
  
He didn't want to seem like a busybody, but he had to know. He wanted to find out about Lily and why she had this particular hatred of love.  
  
"Look. I don't feel old enough for a relationship. Stop trying to get me into the same small area as yourself so you think you can have me to yourself!" she said, leaving once more.  
  
"I'm sorry, Lil," he said quietly as Lily stopped.  
  
"What for?" she asked him. Going by the tears that were now running down her face, he knew why she hated relationships and love.  
  
"Your parents are divorced, aren't they?"  
  
Lily looked at him with pleading eyes. "Yes, they are. But please show some respect and keep your mouth shut. I have to go," said Lily, walking out of the door.  
  
There's more than just a divorce there, thought James. There's something else she isn't telling me.  
  
James also walked out of the box, beaten. He had wanted more time alone with Lily. Little did he know he was going to get that chance in his next class.  
  
After Transfiguration, Sirius caught up with James.   
  
"What happened in that box, pal?" Sirius asked. "You look like something horrible happened!"  
  
"I had my chance, and I passed it up. I want to ask her to the ball," James said, and Sirius laughed.  
  
"You know, for a first year, you already are into girls way too much," he said, laughing. "Come on, time for Potions. Fun fun."  
  
Upon their arrival at Potions, he saw a maze in front of him.  
  
"What's this?" he asked.  
  
"Guys to the left, girls to the right. Find your way out of the maze to a seat in the room. You will not know who your partner is until they too reach a seat. Don't look for your friends, as you won't be able to reach anyone once you take a seat, then the maze will fall once everyone is here for today," boomed the voice above James. As it turned out, and James figured it out right away, the teacher was attempting to split up friends. As James and Sirius walked in, they found seats quickly. Once the maze fell,they saw who their partners were to be. James was next to Lily, Sirius was next to Vanessa, Remus was by Danielle, and Peter was by one of the Slytherin girls. Even if the class is bloody boring, thought James, at least I am next to Lily for it.  
  
The Professor then came out of the shadows and introduced himself. "I am Professor Camdren," he said. "Today we will learn how to make a Wiggenweld Potion."  
  
As class went by, the teacher made some new changes. Since Lily didn't talk to James, however, they weren't split up in the first round of his new changes. Sirius was now beside Narcissa, his cousin. Remus was now next to Carly Caxry, and Peter was currently getting moved, and Camdren put him next to Vanessa. Danielle began talking to her new partner, and, thinking that she knew him, he split up the to, taking James and moving him next to Danielle, and Lily next to Snape. Danielle now refused to talk however, not wanting to be split up from James, her obvious crush.  
  
James, however, knew her plan. He talked to her uncontrollably before he was moved once more. He was moved, however, not to Lily, as he wished, but now was next to Patricia. That seemed to be all the switching that was to occur—until a Memory Charm was placed upon Professor Camdren and he forgot who was next to who. He told the kids to go back to their seats they were told at the beginning of the class, so James was once again next to Lily.  
  
After James and Lily had accurately made the potion, Lily buried her nose into her book once more.   
  
Up in the dormitory that night, the boys talked about their first day at classes—and who they wanted to go to the ball with.  
  
"Lily," replied James, Remus, and Peter simultaneously. They looked at each other.  
  
"WHAT?" James literally screamed. James, using the spell Lily had taught him earlier in Potions (Petrificus Totalus!) used the full-body bind on Remus and Peter, then left to find Lily. She was sitting in the common room, talking to the other ladies. James, instead of interrupting their conversation, listened intently to them.  
  
"Who do you want to ask you to the ball?" asked Vanessa as an interest topic.  
  
"JAMES POTTER OF COURSE!" Danielle said loudly. James didn't like this—he didn't even remotely like Danielle. However, the girls had continued with the conversation as though this wasn't new information.  
  
"I want Peter to ask me," said Linda calmly. James was shocked at this—the girls never liked Peter.  
  
"Why?" asked Vanessa.  
  
"Well, I know he's the only one that would think of asking me. It's clear who the five boys like, you're just too blind to see it," said Linda in response.  
  
"Then who likes me?" asked Vanessa. That's obvious, he always sits by you, thought James.  
  
"Sirius Black," said Linda, cool and collected. Vanessa flushed. "That's bloody awesome! I like him too, so that'd be great," said Vanessa, smiling now.  
  
"What about you Patricia?" asked Danielle. Patricia shrugged. "Well, I'd like Sirius Black, but since he seems to like Vanessa over there, I don't know," she responded.  
  
"Lily, who do you want to ask you?" Vanessa asked. Lily looked at her with darts in her eyes.  
  
"I don't want to go to this-this ball thing-with anyone! But, since you all are going to go with someone, I guess I'd say yes to Remus, he's a great guy, and possibly- JAMES POTTER!" she screamed. She noticed him standing there.  
  
"JAMES POTTER, YOU ARE DEAD!" screamed Lily, and James ran up to the boys' dorms.  
  
"How much did you hear before she found you?" asked Sirius.  
  
"Ask Vanessa, man. I know you like her. Remus, you go ahead and ask Lily, she said she would say yes to you and then she saw me or felt my presence or something I guess, since she didn't finish her sentence. Peter, Linda said that she'd say yeah to you," said James dejectedly, sitting on his bed.  
  
"What about Danielle?"  
  
"She likes me, clearly, a lot. I don't like her one bloody bit though!" said James loudly, and then saw Sirius, Remus, and Peter had all left. Ten minutes later, they arrived back up in the dorm, smiles on their faces.  
  
"They said yes I guess?" asked James, and they all nodded. He then fell down upon his pillow and fell asleep.  
  
Sooner than expected, it was Halloween night. The night of the ball. The night of truth, for some. The night of hell, for others.  
  
When everyone walked into the Great Hall (where the dance was being held) everyone looked gorgeous. Lily was by far the most beautiful girl there. Even Danielle, who had gotten James to say yes by reminding him that unless he went with her he wouldn't have a date. When he walked through the doors, it was impossible not to spot Lily. She was sitting down at a table, across from Remus. Danielle tugged on James' collar, however, and took him out to the dance floor, before he could even see Lily's face.  
  
Later that night, James walked over towards Lily, hoping to steal one dance. However, she was nowhere to be found. Nor was Remus. James walked outside to find Lily leading Remus to the Whomping Willow tree. Confused, James walked back into the Great Hall, and a good thing too. Lily, after leading Remus to the tree, walked back into the Great Hall, and didn't see James standing right inside the door. At least, James hoped she didn't. As soon as she sat down, she picked up her things and acted as if she was leaving. However, James walked over and grasped her shoulder.  
  
"Hey Lil," he said, smiling broadly at her.  
  
She blushed a bit as he took her hand and brought her onto the dance floor. A slow song came on, so James began to dance with Lily. However, a minute in, Danielle grabbed James' arm and took him to herself. Not a minute later, once James had broken free of Danielle's grip, he spotted Lily dancing with a certain greasy-haired idiot...  
  
"Snape?" he asked quietly, walking over to Lily and her dance partner. "Sorry, but I had been dancing with Miss Beautiful here, until we got rudely interrupted."  
  
"We're taking this outside," said Snape. "Alone," he added, and Lily walked away, looking back at James and Snape almost longingly. James followed Snape outside, where Snape pulled out his wand, asking James if he knew how to duel.  
  
"Of course I do," he said, taking his own wand out from beneath his dress robes. But Snape was too quick. The next thing he remembered, he was waking up in the Hospital Wing, two hours later.  
  
"Where am I?" he asked the nearest person, who happened to be Lily.  
  
"Something happened. You and Severus were both found outside, Severus holding you in his arms as if he thought you were dead," Lily explained. "You're in the hospital wing. What happened?"  
  
"I don't remember. You cared enough to come?"  
  
"I needed to escape Danielle," she said, but Danielle came stomping up anyway.  
  
"You—little-BOY STEALER! You knew James was mine! You little WITCH!"  
  
"I don't take that as an insult, being that that is what I am," said Lily, but there was a loud SMACK!  
  
The sound opened James' eyes. Lily was lying on the floor, clutching her face. "Danielle, did you just smack Lily?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, a huge grin on her face. "Yes you do! Why did you inflict pain upon her?"  
  
"She started it! She's a player, she was with Remus, then you, then Snape! Yet you still are on her side!" exclaimed Danielle. Lily stood up, a visible red hand mark upon her face. She sat down on the chair beside James as James put his hand on her face. Danielle then took out her wand, Levitated Lily out of the room, and then dropped her out the window.   
  
Danielle ran out of the room, blowing a kiss to James upon her departure. A minute later, Lily was brought up to the Hospital wing. James suddenly felt perfectly fine, so he sat next to Lily. When the nurse showed up, she muttered a few words under her breath, and Lily woke up. James hadn't realized it, but his hands were in Lily's the whole time she was lying there.  
  
"James Potter, why are you holding my hands?" she asked him, and he withdrew his hands immediately.  
  
"Sorry," he muttered, blushing.  
  
Surprisingly, Lily also blushed. James smiled at this. She had been blocked from view, so, since he was the only one there, he figured this was the perfect time. He leaned in towards her, but she pushed him away.  
  
"For Christ's sake, we are 11 years old, and yet you still are already trying to kiss me! James, you are a great guy, but you're too young to already want to get kissed. Anyway, I feel fine, Madam Pomfrey works wonders. Want to head back to Gryffindor tower?" she asked. James nodded, but couldn't help feeling upset. He had been so close...  
  
It was one o'clock in the morning by the time they got back into Gryffindor tower. As they bid each other goodnight, James kissed Lily's cheek. "It's friendly, that's all," said James, and Lily smiled. "Good night."  
  
The next month and a half passed so quickly no one even noticed it had passed. The only sign of the changing was the snow covering the grounds of Hogwarts. As soon as the fourth term of the year started, flying lessons would begin for Gryffindors and Slytherins.  
  
Remus hadn't been around lately. Whenever anyone mentioned the moon he had been hiding or cowering, as if he was hiding something from everyone. James finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together and confronted Remus.  
  
"Remus, are you a werewolf?"  
  
Remus looked at him strangely.  
  
"How did you—I mean, what would give you that idea?"  
  
"Everything. The way you act, your fears. Don't worry, it's still your secret. Only us Marauders know!"  
  
"Sure, a secret is very safe within you and Sirius! But yes, I am a werewolf. Go ahead, laugh, abandon me. I'm used to it."  
  
"Remus, old pal, of course not! Don't think your...er...condition will stop us from being your friends!"  
  
"I thought for a minute there that Lily had told you," said Remus quietly.  
  
"Lily knows?"  
  
"You know at the ball, how you suddenly couldn't find either one of us?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Well, she took me out to where I hide during my transformations. She swore to me she wouldn't tell anyone. She's been the only girl to ever stick by me even with my condition."  
  
"She's great at that."  
  
"At what?"  
  
"Everything," said James, breathless. Sirius and Peter woke up later to realize something.  
  
"It's December 24!"  
  
"Yeah, genius! Tomorrow is Christmas! Frank went home, that's why he's not here."  
  
"Oh," said Peter, feeling stupid.  
  
"I still haven't bought something for Lily," they all said simultaneously.  
  
"Well, it's not easy to buy something for her. All she loves is books, school, and art!" said Peter.  
  
"Yeah, but still...anyone feel up to a Hogsmeade trip?"  
  
"Sure," said James, getting his stuff.  
  
The following day, the crew woke up to a house-elf poking them.  
  
"Miss Vanessa Prewitt would like to wish Sirius Black a Happy Christmas," said the house-elf before disappearing.  
  
James, Sirius, and Remus got out of bed and walked down the stairs. Lily and Vanessa were sitting there.  
  
"PRESENTS!" exclaimed Sirius, diving for the gifts under the tree. Since the four boys, Lily, and Vanessa were the only six in Gryffindor to have stayed behind, they had the common room to themselves.  
  
James grabbed the first gift—from his mum and dad. It was a Silver Arrow, the newest and fastest broomstick. Underneath it was a cloak.  
  
Lily gasped at the sight of the cloak. "THAT'S AN INVISIBILITY CLOAK!" she shouted. She grabbed it out of James' hands then wrapped it around herself. James couldn't find her...until the Christmas tree suddenly sunk and glowed. Lily's arm, wand in hand, was pointing at it. James knew the cloak would be useful.  
  
Lily then made herself visible, grabbing the gift on the top of her pile. It was James' present to her.  
  
James watched her intently as she opened the complete set of Stephen King novels. He knew she loved it by the look on her face.  
  
"Thanks," she managed, then went through each book, noticing that they were thicker than normal. Each one had a 'bookmark' in them. Except it wasn't a normal bookmark. They were pieces of jewlery. EXPENSIVE jewlery.  
  
"James, why did you spend so much money on me?" she asked, and James put his cloak over himself.   
  
"You're worth every penny of it," he whispered in her ear under the cloak, then put the cloak over her too. They walked out of the common room and into the girls' dorms. James leaned in towards Lily, ever so slightly...  
  
She turned away again.  
  
"I told you James, I'm not old enough for this! We're only eleven years old!" she said, but he wouldn't take that for an answer. He tried again. This time, he went a bit faster. But this time, he kissed air. Lily had gotten out from under the cloak and walked back into the common room.  
  
James, upset with himself, walked back into the common room as well. He went through the presents and found Lily's gift to him. Unwrapping it, he found two books. Hogwarts, a History and The Guide To Love in the Magical Community. James saw a note on top of them.  
  
James, you need to read up on history. Young romances never have worked and never will. I won't expose myself to such rubbish at eleven years of age. Later on in life, maybe you'll finally grow up and see that. Read these books. I know you lost your copy of Hogwarts, a History, so that's why I got you that. The other one just read. You'll see where I'm coming from.  
  
Lily  
  
James couldn't help but feel lost. He looked around and saw no one else in the common room. Seeing that it was already nine o'clock and time for breakfast, he went down to the Great Hall.  
  
After they all were fed and watered, James and his friends all went back to the common room to continue opening gifts. Lily and Vanessa came too. James, who had opened the rest of his presents already, just watched Lily.  
  
From Snape, she got a sketchbook with new drawing pencils and a rhinestone necklace.  
  
From Remus, she got a werewolf statue with a letter reading 'thanks'. It was smiling at the moment, but once Remus frowned, so did the statue.  
  
From Sirius, she got yet another book. The Complete Guide to Countercurses of Common Hexes.   
  
"Is this supposed to be a warning?" asked Lily, and Sirius nodded.  
  
"With Snape and us, you never know," said Sirius, smiling.   
  
James, tired of seeing how many boys had sent Lily gifts, went up to the boys' dorms. It was now that he decided that if the only way to get Lily's attention was going to be by playing pranks, he would do that. He was willing to do anything if it meant he would be with Lily. He didn't know why he felt that way, but he did.  
  
Finally, to James liking, the Flying Lessons began. James, Lily, and Sirius all understood on their first tries, and were told to try out for the house Quidditch teams the following year. That year, Quidditch had been cancelled due to Dippit's death.  
  
"What's Quidditch?" asked Lily, honestly confused.  
  
"I'll explain up in the common room," said James, then the three went up to the Gryffindor Common Room. James launched immediately into a long explanation of what Quidditch was, how it was played, and what positions there were. He even had memorized the fouls.  
  
After flying practice, the time went fast. Classes were easy for everyone except Peter, who was still not understanding the lesson from the first day of Transfiguration.  
  
Easter Break approached. Only James and Lily were staying, as everyone else had families that wanted them home. It was then that James found out about Lily's family life.  
  
Being that it was only her and James, they really got to know each other over the Easter holidays. On the final day, James brought up family life, and explained his own.  
  
"Well, my parents are both Aurors, or Dark Wizard catchers. They are some of the best too, so we have a lot of money. What about you?"  
  
"I really don't want to talk about it," said Lily, turning her head.  
  
"I never thanked you for keeping Remus' secret," said James suddenly. "So thanks."  
  
"No problem. It's not my secret to tell."  
  
"Lily, I wouldn't tell anyone! Please?"  
  
He looked at her with the puppy-dog eyes and she finally gave in. She had to explain through tears though.  
  
"My parents divorced when I was two years old. They both are seeing other people and supposedly like me more than my Muggle sister, Petunia. Petunia prettymuch lives at her boyfriend's house, and I get stuck going back between the two homes every other day. My parents are both Muggles too."  
  
James immediately understood why Lily never talked about her home life. It sucked.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said.  
  
"It's not your fault," said Lily.  
  
"I know, but I still can be sorry, can't I?" he asked.  
  
"You have no reason to be sorry," said Lily, standing up. James held her down.  
  
"I won't tell anyone," said James, then let Lily go.  
  
A week later, everyone was back. There was to be an end-of-term non-formal dance. James refused to go to this dance though, and only he knew why. Lily wasn't going, she found it stupid.  
  
Once everyone had left, James waited. Suddenly, Lily showed up, coming down the stairs.  
  
"Why didn't you go with Danielle?" she asked him.  
  
"I don't want to go with anyone except you," he said, blushing.  
  
"I don't want to make you miss this, James. If you want to go then I guess I'll go. Come on," she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him to the Great Hall.  
  
Lucius knew that Snape liked Lily. That was probably why Lucius cursed James.   
  
James had been sitting there, talking to Lily after having danced with her. He suddenly felt like talking about Narcissa, so he babbled on and on about how pretty she was and how much prettier she was than Lily. Lily let go of James and head to the Gryffindor Common Room. As soon as he had let go of her, the curse that had been put upon James wore off, and he left.  
  
He went up and opened the door to the common room to see Lily sitting on the couches. He crept in under the Invisibility Cloak and listened to Lily, writing in her diary.  
  
I wish I didn't look like this! School matters to me, not boys! I couldn't have even danced with Potter or Snape if Remus, the sensible one of the guys after me, hadn't been off in the Whomping Willow on the night of the Halloween Ball. Potter seems to like me even more every day, and it's beginning to creep me out. Severus is sweet but dangerous with a capital D. I don't have time for a love life right now, I'm too into my schooling and am only 11 years old! Why won't the guys just leave me alone?!  
  
I have to go get some sleep. Night.  
  
Lily  
  
James stepped back. He then crept up the stairs to the boys' dorms and fell asleep directly after resolving not to creep Lily out anymore.  
  
The following day was the trip home from Hogwarts. James, upon arrival at the train station, couldn't help but see that two students had disappeared... 


	3. The Second Year

When James got into his parents car the following day, he couldn't help but notice they weren't going directly to their house.  
  
"Mum?"  
  
"Yeah James?"  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"Don't you remember? We are moving, we got a bigger house over there," said James' mum.  
  
"Yeah, the biggest one on the street," said James' dad.  
  
"But why are we moving?"  
  
"Because the people living by us over there don't like us very much. We're wizards--"  
  
"—And witches—"  
  
"So the people on the street aren't huge fans of us. We are moving to a street where there are supposedly two Muggle-born witches and a wizard."  
  
"Oh," was all James could manage before remembering something. Wait! Vanessa and Lily are both Muggle-born and live on the same street! But I don't remember any wizard at Vanessa's party, I wonder who that is.  
  
Upon arrival at the new house, James was shocked. He did indeed remember the street. Indeed, it was Lily and Vanessa's.  
  
"Dad, didn't you say a wizard lived on this street as well?"  
  
"Yeah. Someone that's named Severus Snape, he just moved here as well."  
  
Great, thought James, I still will have competition for Lily.  
  
As soon as he walked into the house, he saw two girls looking out the window from next door—Lily and Vanessa.  
  
He overheard Lily's scream from her room. Then again, his own was right next to hers, with only the air in between.  
  
"JAMES POTTER!" called Vanessa, and James opened his window. Lily was no longer standing there.  
  
"What, Vanessa?"  
  
"STOP STALKING LILY!" screamed Vanessa.  
  
"I didn't mean to! My parents moved so I had to come with," said James.  
  
By then Lily had returned to the window. "Potter, quit following me everywhere!" and with that, Lily shut the window.  
  
James felt both dejected and happy. The feelings may not have gone together, but he knew why he was feeling them. Why can't she just give me a chance?!  
  
The following week, an answer came as to why Lily was so secluded. Her parents were both divorced, as she had said, and her sister was indeed never home, but it seemed that her father was close to death.  
  
"We love you, Lily," said her mother one day. "We both do."  
  
James had also become more secluded. He spent every day without fail in his room, trying to stay away from Lily so she would believe him.  
  
However, on July 12, it was Lily's birthday. Vanessa's had been a week ago. James had been invited to Lily's pool party against what he felt was his own wishes. Sirius had informed him one day that he wasn't to get a big head, as the only reason he was invited was because Remus was and Lily didn't want to leave anyone out.  
  
When James arrived, everyone was already there. Sirius was playing cards with Vanessa. Remus, Snape, and Lucius were all sitting on the couches. Peter was just walking around and watching Remus, as if waiting for a signal.  
  
James decided to form his own group: the talking to Lily group. Once she opened the door to let him in, he turned to her to give her the gift.  
  
"Thanks," she muttered, then walked up to her room to put it down.  
  
Finally everyone was there. Lily told everyone to go outside, as it was finally time to go in the pool. The second they got outside, however, it begun to rain.  
  
"James, why did it take you so long to get here?" Lily asked him, annoyed. But the next time she looked, the rain had stopped.  
  
"Must have been a strange storm. Let's go," said James, then they all got in the pool.  
  
As they started to play random games, James always seemed to be grabbing Lily and dunking her underwater. When the time came for everyone to leave, Vanessa, James, and Snape were the final three to leave. Vanessa had to go home quickly to shower and grab her stuff for the sleepover. Snape decided to leave a short time before Vanessa got back, so James took his chance.  
  
"Hey Lil," he said, smiling.  
  
"About time you said hello," she retorted, cleaning up.  
  
"Why didn't you open your gifts when everyone was here?" asked James.  
  
"Because I'm going to end up throwing half of them out anyway since half the people over were guys that I think all like me, and no guy should. I grew up so now I'm twelve, but still, school matters to me, not boys. Please go, I need to set up for Vanessa sleeping over tonight," said Lily, and James, knowing that he wouldn't get anything out of her, decided to leave her alone.  
  
On his way out though, he happened to see a certain greasy-haired git on their way into Lily's house. He walked into his room, hoping that Lily would bring Snape into her room. Luckily for him, she did.  
  
"Look, I just told Potter this same thing. I'm not into guys yet!" Lily said, however Snape didn't stop. He just started kissing her. But Lily didn't push him away until she looked out the window and James caught her eye.  
  
"JAMES POTTER, STOP SPYING ON ME!" she screamed, shutting the curtains and pushing Snape down the stairs.  
  
Vanessa had arrived at Lily's house at the same moment Snape fell backwards out the door after falling a flight of stairs.   
  
That night, James was about to lie down in bed when he heard voices from next door.   
  
"Come on Vanessa!"  
  
"Look Lily. All the guys like you, that's obvious. All the girls in our dorm are fawning over James and yet you keep turning him away! Why?" came the voice of Vanessa. James decided to listen in.  
  
"I told you, him, and the world! No one understands me right now, probably not even you! My father is dying, Vanessa. My mother is the reason. I'm not giving out the details in case Potter is listening from his window or something, but I'll tell you later."  
  
James turned away. So that's why she hated love. Not only because of school being in the way, but also because her father was dying because of her mother. James then heard his name yet again and turned back.  
  
"God, Lily, lighten up. What happened to your parents won't happen between you and James!"  
  
"God, me and James? Right now, with his possessiveness of me and taste in even thinking of bringing Danielle anywhere, I don't even think we'd make good friends. The only reason he was invited over here for my party was because you made me invite Sirius so, naturally, Sirius wouldn't have come without his crew and you wouldn't have come without Sirius. You're the one that's bloody strange, we're twelve for crying out loud!"  
  
"Anyway, off the subject of James. What happened between you and Sn-I mean, Severus today?"  
  
"Well, he sort of came in my house uninvited after James had left and then came up to my room, demanding I open his present. I opened it and it was a really expensive necklace, so I thanked him. That wasn't all he wanted though. He studdenly started kissing me all over and as much as I wanted to push him off I knew James was spying on me so I figured I'd go along with it, then maybe James would stop following me around," said Lily.  
  
"Let's just go watch a movie," said Vanessa, and with Lily's agreement they left the room.  
  
James was stunned. So it had been an act, with the whole Snape thing.   
  
"A good act though," he said to himself in a whisper before falling asleep.  
  
Sooner than expected, it was time for the return to Hogwarts. James had avoided Lily carefully for the rest of the summer, however was catching her hanging with Snape more often every day. On the day of the return to Hogwarts, he saw her standing outside, face in her hands.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked, walking over.  
  
"Nothing that concerns you, Potter. Just leave me be," she replied, and then James saw Snape crossing the street.  
  
"What are you doing to Lily, Potter?" he asked.  
  
"What do you mean? I was seeing why she was upset, but if it's a crime to care about my friend, then I'll stop," said James sarcastically, but Snape picked up Lily.  
  
"I'll get you to the station," said Snape, bringing her into his car.  
  
James, upset that Lily had a relationship with Snape, grabbed his own things and went out to the car, throwing his trunk into the back. He was picking up Sirius and Remus on the way, as Peter had his own mode of transportation.  
  
Once they all picked a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, eager conversation about Quidditch broke out.  
  
"What are you trying out for James?" asked Sirius gleefully.  
  
"Chaser. I might go for Seeker later on in Hogwarts though," said James in response. It was at this time that Lily and Vanessa looked around for a train compartment as well, and Sirius opened the door to let them in. Vanessa accepted happily, but Lily kept right on walking.  
  
Remus and James left to go and find Lily, telling her that she would be welcomed with open arms in the compartment, however she turned them down.  
  
"Severus and Lucius are nicer to me than you four," she said quickly, resuming her smile and talking to Snape about Quidditch.  
  
"What a witch," said James, then remembered the previous year.  
  
"You—little-BOY STEALER! You knew James was mine! You little WITCH!"  
  
"I don't take that as an insult, being that that is what I am," said Lily, but there was a loud SMACK!  
  
'I rushed to her side,' thought James. "Where's Danielle's compartment?" James asked Remus, but Remus shrugged.  
  
"How should I know?" Remus answered, and James went off. He knew what he'd do—he'd use Danielle to get Lily jealous. A foolproof plan, he thought, a huge smile on his face. As he walked into Danielle's compartment, he was covered in smoke. Going through it, he saw three girls: Danielle, Patricia, and Linda.  
  
"Hey there ladies," said James, smiling.  
  
"There you are! Take the seat over there, it'll be just a minute," said Danielle.  
  
Like father like daughter, he thought, taking the seat she pointed him to. By the time they arrived at Hogwarts, Danielle had pushed Patricia and Linda out of the compartment and James had been kissed by Danielle countless times. When the prefect walked in to tell them they were close to Hogwarts, he put his hands over his eyes.  
  
As they walked in the Great Hall for the Sorting, James took a seat by Danielle.  
  
"Lily, would you please open the door for my girlfriend?" he asked, and Lily laughed.  
  
"Quit trying to make me jealous, James Potter."  
  
How'd she know? thought James, but concealed his feelings very well. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"I know very well that you do not like Danielle and I mean the world to you. Listen to me for once and just leave me alone. You can stay with this, this, this piece of useless rubbish if you wish, but you'll bloody well wish you hadn't. I, being a girl, know a bit more about her than you." And with that, Lily left.  
  
James was shocked. How did Lily read his mind like that?  
  
Before he could even answer himself he was seated beside Danielle. He figured he's continue to go along with it and see if it changed Lily's mind about him and his 'relationship' with Danielle.  
  
"Hello all, and welcome to another year at Hogwarts. This year, as we continue to mourn for Professor Dippit's death, the next four years we will do something special on Halloween, since that was always our late great Dippit's favorite holiday.  
  
"Last year was a ball. This year we will do things the Muggle way. Those that are Muggle-born know what I mean," said Dumbledore, and the Muggle- borns nodded. "Normally, on the Muggle holiday Halloween, they do something called Trick-Or-Treating. They dress up as a character and get lots of candy. However, we're putting a magic spin on it. Being that we understand that many of you like romance, the girls will all be in a house somewhere in the Great Hall or the room that will be added for the night opposite the Great Hall. A man will then knock on the woman's door, and, if he likes the woman, will join her for the night. Now, we know that some of you women do not like romance--" said Dumbledore, and all eyes went to Lily— "so for those souls you'll have fun finding out which guys like you. You may only go in one person's cabin. Ladies, as many men as ask to join you, must. That is all. Ladies, please stay for five minutes after dinner, there is some more information for you."  
  
After eating, James didn't leave. Well, he wouldn't, that is. He walked outside the Great Hall and threw one of his specialties, the Transfiguration of a table into an ear, so he knew what was going on within the Hall.  
  
"Now that you all have had time to breed on this, I know some of you don't want to participate in this event. However, as much as I strongly encourage you to participate, it is not required. If any of you aren't going to participate, please leave now."  
  
No one, not even Lily, must have risen, because Dumbledore continued.  
  
"Okay. Now you all must have a costume drawn for us by the first of October. We will make your costumes in a flash and then give them directly to you. Go and invent your houses now, once you turn in your drawings we'll give you further explanation. Also, Mr. Potter, I know you are out there, so please do not tell all the men about this. That is all."  
  
Dumbledore knows all thought James, hiding as the doors burst open. Suddenly, an invisible force came about, and James didn't find out who it was until they were in the Gryffindor Common Room.  
  
"James, why must you know everything I do and everything about me?"  
  
It was Lily. But not the beautiful Lily, like normal. The ugly, not caring about appearance, angry Lily.  
  
"I didn't mean to. You know Transfiguration is my best subject, and I kind of felt the need to know what was going on with the girls. Sorry."  
  
He must have looked it, because Lily took his apology and walked up to her dormitory.  
  
"Lil?"  
  
"What?" Lily's voice still had the anger in it.  
  
"I really am sorry, you know."  
  
"Sure. Sorry for asking me about my life, sorry for flirting with me and not stopping, sorry for listening in on my life, sorry for doing everything to me. Whatever."  
  
As Lily continued to go up the stairs, James couldn't help but fall even deeper for her. He had to do something...but what?  
  
"JAMES!"  
  
James woke up, startled.  
  
"We're late for Charms! Come on!" said Sirius, throwing James his cloak and wand. They ran unstoppably to Charms and made it just in time.  
  
"Today we will be learning a simple spell. It is used to charm the mind of a Kneazle into a trap. Please, after me. Absnon Zysnon!"  
  
"Absnon Zysnon," said the rest of the class.  
  
"Don't forget the wrist movement as well," said Flitwick, and Lily said the charm under her breath, pointing her wand at the Kneazle.  
  
"Very well done, Miss Evans! Everyone else, keep trying!"  
  
"Absnon Zysnon," said James, and, much to his liking and surprise, the same light that had ejected from Lily's wand came out of his own and hit the Kneazle, which turned around to face everyone, confused.  
  
"Okay, we have our two exemptees from the pop quiz! Miss Evans and Mr. Potter, outside please," said Flitwick. They walked outside quickly and James took the chance to talk to Lily.  
  
"Hey," he said. Lily glared at him.  
  
"Why must you do this to me James?"  
  
"I'm not Mr. Potter anymore?"  
  
"No, you're not."  
  
"I'm actually James?"  
  
"Yes, Potter, and you're lucky to be that."  
  
"That's my name though!"  
  
"Not in my mind."  
  
"What am I in your mind then?"  
  
"If I told you, then I'd have to kill you."  
  
"That's rich—what? Did I say something?"  
  
Upon hearing the word 'rich', Lily had broke into tears.  
  
"What's wrong Lil?"  
  
"Nothing, nothing. I'm fine," she said, wiping her eyes.  
  
"Cry if you want to, Lil. We have time. Flitwick's quizzes last about a half hour."  
  
Surprisingly to him, Lily buried herself in his shoulder. Having wished she would do that for a long time, he patted her on the back. He then took her chin and cupped it in her hand.  
  
"I'm here for you Lil."  
  
He knew this was it; his moment, his chance. He leaned in towards her, then, making sure no one was looking at them, he kissed her.  
  
She backed away quickly. "James, please. Listen to me on this, I really don't want a boyfriend. I don't think I'm ready, with my parents' separation and—"  
  
But James had put his finger up to her lips, stopping her from continuing. He tried to kiss her again, but she pushed him away yet again, and pulled him into a loose hug.  
  
"Let me guess. Don't tell Danielle?" Lily said, breaking apart from him.   
  
"You were right, she was just a decoy. You are the one I want, not her," James said, trying to grab hold of her. He reached her in time—but not where she wanted to be touched.  
  
"James, remove your hand from my butt immediately!"  
  
She's already forgotten about the kiss? Does she suffer from short-term memory loss?  
  
Lily then stalked off after using the Summoning charm to retrieve her stuff from the classroom. James followed her in doing the same thing, then followed her to the Gryffindor common room.  
  
"Lily—wait!"  
  
"James, I told you, please!"  
  
"Why were you kissing Snape that one day then?"  
  
"You were spying on me? I thought that was Peter!"  
  
"He doesn't like me much, personally.  
  
"I can't blame him."  
  
"Oh, shut up."  
  
"I will when you do."  
  
"I will then."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I will shut up. Goodbye Potter," said Lily, walking up the stairs to the girls' dorms.  
  
"God, why do I always get this nervous around her? and why won't I let her be? Why must the one girl I really like hate me in return?" he said aloud, and it seemed a little too loud. Someone else had heard him—someone that he later would find out about.  
  
"We're twelve years old," said a voice from far away. "It's too soon for a relationship."  
  
But when he turned around to see his coorespondant, no one was there.  
  
Sooner than expected, it was October first, and the day of Quidditch tryouts. James, Sirius, Remus, Lily, and Vanessa were all trying out for the house team.  
  
"Hello everyone trying out for a house team. Please split up based on what you are trying out for. Being that we already have a keeper, me, and one beater, Caitlyn Branx, we don't need a keeper at all and only need one new Beater. To get it overwith first, we'll do the Beaters. Whoever wants to be a Beater go over there," said the captain of the team, Ian Wood.  
  
Sirius and Peter broke away from the group, along with a fifth year girl, fourth year guy, and two seventh years.  
  
Ten minutes later, the six returned, all looking beaten.  
  
"How was it?" James asked Sirius, who looked at him as though the next person to ask him that would be cursed, then continued on walking. James looked to Lily then Remus, who all knew what was coming next.  
  
"Chasers!"  
  
The three all abandoned the other students and left for tryouts. They had to work together, as a team, to pass around the Quaffle and put it through hoops at the ends of the field.  
  
When their ten minutes were finally over, they all flew back and handed off the brooms. James felt okay, he was tired yet he had done pretty well.  
  
That night, James and the rest of the boys in the school were told to stay behind after dinner in the Great Hall.  
  
Once all the girls had left the Great Hall, Dumbledore spoke.  
  
"As you know, this year we will be doing Halloween the Muggle way, with our own touch. Trick-or-Treating. The girls will all be in houses around this room and the room across the hall, which we normally don't use but we will for that day. All you have to do is dress up like someone else, and there are no limits as to what here. You will simply go to every house you think the girl you like is in, and say 'Trick or Treat'. If you get the trick, the lady will hex you, not deadly of course. If you get the treat, you'll be asked to stay with the lady, where your options are endless. No one can see through their houses, so don't worry about spying.  
  
"I know you want to ask the girls what their houses look like, however they have been told if they tell then they will not be allowed to come to this. That is all. Bed!" said Dumbledore, and everyone left.  
  
"So we're prettymuch finding out what girls like us but we won't know who they are until we're in the room? That's rubbish," James said to Sirius.  
  
"I don't know what to do. I need to be in that room with Vanessa, but I don't know what I can ask without Dumbledore finding out I know which one she is!" said Sirius, frowning slightly.  
  
"Dunno man, but we're in for it."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Well, we're going to try and find the girls we like, but since we don't know where they are, if the girl standing at the door likes us we'll be stuck with her!"  
  
"This is rubbish, man," said Sirius, as they approached Gryffindor tower.  
  
The Halloween Trick-or-Treating came quicker than expected. At seven o'clock that night, the boys were all ready. They went down to the Great Hall, hoping their girl was there.  
  
Remus knocked on a door that appeared to be made of gingerbread. As he knocked, a Slytherin girl came to the door. He knew her name and how much she despised him, so he didn't say Trick-or-Treat, he just left.  
  
Sirius and James were knocking on every door, then realized something. The people in the doors they were knocking on were all Hufflepuffs, and the opposite side of the room was Slytherins!   
  
"Lessgo into the other room," said James to Sirius, who nodded and they sprinted across the hall into the other room. They looked on the walls to see one column of Gryffindors, one of Ravenclaws. They both started knocking on all the Gryffindor doors, however neither could find who they wanted. That is, until they saw there were two more rows of people.  
  
Sirius knocked on the middle ones, which was prettily decorated into the look of a pool, with a basketball net on one side. Vanessa came to the door.  
  
"TRICK OR TREAT!" said Sirius, happily. Vanessa pulled him inside, and James knew that meant Lily had to be around there somewhere.  
  
He kept knocking until he came to a house made up of drawings of Quidditch goal posts, books, and spells. Sure enough, Lily came to the door.  
  
"Trick or treat!" James said, smiling. Lily didn't seem to return the smile though, rather she just pulled him inside.  
  
When he looked in the corners of the room, there were already at least six boys in the room.  
  
"I knew I should have hidden better," said Lily, angry now.  
  
Another knock came on the door.  
  
It was Remus. And Peter.  
  
Lily let both of them in, though now even more unhappy. Eight guys were now sprawled out on the floor. Lily decided any more and she would hex the people to come to the door.  
  
Five minutes later, Dumbledore's voice came from the speaker.  
  
"All girls with more than one boy in their room, shoot up red sparks. The boys will be separated from you for a quiz about you and the winner will be the one you get to see for the night."  
  
James went back and thought about Lily. He knew more about her than any of the guys there—that is, everyone except Snape, who she recently had been seen with quite often.  
  
Lily, of course, left her house for the moment and shot up red sparks. Dumbledore went to her place and looked inside.  
  
"Wow, Miss Evans, quite a few boys in here. Come out, all of you," said Dumbledore, taking them to the Room of Requirement.   
  
There were test papers in there, all reading as the name 'Miss Lily Evans'.  
  
"Answer these questions as you feel Lily Evans would," said Dumbledore, and with another wave of his wand, questions appeared, along with the initials of the student taking the exam in the upper right hand corner.  
  
1. What is your favorite color?  
  
2. Whom is your favorite book author?  
  
3. What is(are) the name(s) of your sibling(s)?  
  
4. What is your favorite girl's name?  
  
5. What is your favorite guy's name?  
  
All the way down to  
  
50. What is the name of the boy you most like?  
  
Of course every guy put his name in that position, and then Dumbledore collected test papers.  
  
"We will inform you of the results momentarily," said Dumbledore, and, with yet another flick of his wand, the person with the most correct answers' lit up. But there were two.  
  
"JP and SS," said Dumbledore.  
  
James and Snape.  
  
Great, thought James. What am I going to be forced to go through now?  
  
"Since we have a tie, we'll take it to Miss Evans."  
  
This was what James had feared. Obviously, Lily would pick Snape over himself. So it came to a surprise when Lily was asked and she said, "James."  
  
James, on the inside, started jumping with joy. Lily had picked him over Snape, the guy she had been seen with lately! He walked into the room and, with one last flick of his wand, Dumbledore had the room set up.  
  
As soon as the door shut and locked itself, Lily put a Soundproof Charm on the walls so no one would hear their conversation.  
  
"Well, sit down," said Lily. She seemed to have quite a few questions for him. He obeyed her.  
  
"First of all, why do you still like me?" she asked. "I act like a horrible book-loving person towards you yet you act like I am a goddess."  
  
Well you are, he thought, then answered her simply, "I don't know, I just like you. I know you well, over the summer I really got to know you. But I don't, well, know how to get over you."  
  
"Learn," said Lily. "Do you think I let you in here because I like you more than Severus? Don't fool your mind with that, I figured this way I get to ignore you all night. Anyway, my only other main question was already answered, so I'll just go to sleep now."  
  
With that, Lily was asleep on her couch.  
  
Without Lily awake, no one could stay awake. James was asleep not even a minute later.  
  
On Christmas, James was the first awake. He walked downstairs to see tons of presents, more than the normal, sitting in front of him. Not even a minute later, Lily and Vanessa came down the stairs, giggling loudly.  
  
It was probably their giggling that made Sirius come down, but this was good, as now they all felt that it was okay to dig into the gifts.  
  
James opened the one on the top of his stack first, one from Danielle. It was a very expensive set of cologne. There was a note attached.  
  
For when we go out, darling. Love you!  
  
James felt like laughing. When would this girl get it through her head? He put her gift aside and picked up the next one—from Lily.  
  
It was a book, leather bound. He lifted the cover and realised the name of the book was Foul Potions and Spells In Europe.  
  
"Thanks Lil," he said, and Lily did the unthinkable—she BLUSHED!  
  
She then must have come to her senses, as she ran up the stairs into the girls' dormitories.  
  
"Lil?" he called.  
  
He started walking up the stairs, however one of them fell as he tried to step on it.  
  
Lily came out, laughing. "Guys must be more untrustworthy than girls. What do you want?"  
  
"To talk to you. Just talk."  
  
"You just did. Goodbye Potter," she said, then Summoned the gift that was from Snape.  
  
She began to open it on the spot, not realising that James was still standing there. He gasped upon the sight in front of him, as did she.  
  
It was a necklace, set in diamonds, and clearly very expensive. Along with it was a long cloak, a red and gold one. James walked back down the stairs and ran up to his dorm.  
  
I thought she said that school mattered too much to her to date? he thought. He grabbed his Invisibility Cloak and began to walk down the stairs, cloak on him. He followed Lily to a hallway he never knew existed before.  
  
"Hello Tom," she said, and he curled up in a corner.  
  
"Hello Lil! Having a nice Christmas?"  
  
"Well, Severus got me a present that must been utterly expensive, and I don't know what to do."  
  
It was then that James made himself known. He took off the cloak, and Tom pointed at him.  
  
"Who is this?" he asked, and Lily spun around.  
  
"James Potter, how and why on earth—"  
  
"No time for explanations now, Lil," he said, walking up to Tom and shaking his hand.  
  
He decided to leave, or at least to appear so. He walked over to his Invisibility Cloak, threw it back on, and then started snooping around.  
  
There was a door in the corner of the hideout. He opened it quickly as to not make any noise and found the two kids that had disappeared on the train last summer. They were two Muggle-borns. And they were dead.  
  
He stumbled backwards, opened the door, and ran. By the time he got to the Gryffindor common room, Lily was standing there already.  
  
"DON'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT TOM! He's not one of the best wizards in the world, but he has astonishing powers. He also is one of the best bloody friends in the world I have and is nice when he's not holding a wand or other lethal weapon," said Lily.  
  
"You're trusting me?"  
  
"I'm praying it's not a mistake. Normally, I'd just perform a memory charm on you. But good as I am at them, and as much as I hate you, I doubt it would work correctly."  
  
"The secret is safe with me," said James. Anything for you, Lil.  
  
"Good." With that, Lily walked down to the Great Hall, James following closely behind.  
  
At the next Charms lesson, Lily and James were once again the first students done. They were told to go ahead and leave the class, but they had to stay in his new chamber. They obeyed, and, after Lily put a soundproof charm on the door, she spoke.  
  
"Have you told anyone about Tom?"  
  
"No," he said.   
  
"Cause his hideout's been found out by the Ministry, and they don't like that he wants power."  
  
"Well I still haven't given out his location," he said.   
  
"Yes you have."  
  
"No I haven't!"  
  
"Yes you have, you arrogant pillock! You're the only one besides me that knew!"  
  
"No I haven't, you useless piece of rubbish!"  
  
"Yes you have, James Potter. Now leave me and my friends ALONE!" Lily retorted, and with that, James was out of the room.  
  
He had had enough. Enough with Lily's smart remarks, enough with her insane thoughts, enough of her. He walked out of the room and left the class.  
  
That night, James snuck into the library after his conversation with Sirius.  
  
"Let's become Animagi!"  
  
"I'll get the book," said James, and they found out the first book on it was in the Restricted section.   
  
"I'll still get it!" James said, now without a girl to worry about.  
  
At the end of the year, two more students, again both Muggle-borns, disappeared on the train ride. When James got onto the platform, he walked out and saw Lily run to her parents.  
  
James' parents walked over to Lily's and began to talk.  
  
"Yes, so you got tickets to this 'Quidditch World Cup' thing, and we got the tickets to the baseball game," said Lily's mum.  
  
"Yeah, we'll take her to the World Cup as long as you take James to the baseball game, he needs to see the Muggle way of doing things," said James' father.  
  
"WHAT?!" both Lily and James said simultaneously.  
  
"You're going to a baseball game, James, and we're taking Lily to the Quidditch World Cup," said James' mum.  
  
"Thank you Mrs. Potter!" said Lily politely.  
  
"No problem, Lily," said James' dad, leaning in to whisper something in his ear.  
  
"She's polite enough, if you like her she's fine with us!" 


	4. The Turning Point

A/N: Thanks for the ONE REVIEW!!! I feel so unloved! PLEASE READ N REVIEW SO I KNOW WHAT TO DO FOR THIS FANFIC!!!

-----------------------------

Chapter Four

The Turning Point

James chuckled. "I don't exactly think she likes me very much. Get to know her Dad, she's not that nice of a person…to me at least."

"Sure she isn't. Anyway, let's go," said James' parents, and he left.

Upon their arrival back at James' house, Sirius was already waiting. "YOU GOT EVANS TO GO OUT WITH YOU?!" he screamed, as Lily and her mum drove in.

"Calm it down, Sirius. Anyway, no, I didn't, our parents got to know each other during the school year and they made this huge arrangement so I have to go to a baseball game!"

"What's baseball?"

"Muggle sport," said James, as someone else cut in.

"It's a sport in the Muggle world where there's two teams going against each other. The pitcher throws the ball at the person batting and sees how far he can hit it. There are four bases that he runs to, seeing how far he can get without getting out. If he swings at the ball and misses or tips the ball backwards, it's a strike. Three strikes equals one out. Three outs per team per inning. If the person batting doesn't swing because they feel the ball is too high or too low or something of the like, and the umpire sees it, it's a ball. If the ball could have been hit though it's a strike. It's confusing, you have to see to understand," said the voice, which belonged to Lily.

"Evans, I thought you weren't exactly looking forward to this," said James, confused.

"I'm not looking forward to three or four hours of torture with you at a sport you don't understand. I am looking forward to the game though, as it's two of my favorite teams against each other," said Lily.

"Who?" asked James and Sirius simultaneously.

"The British Badgers against the Austrian Angels," said Lily.

"Oh," said James. He hadn't heard of 'baseball' or these teams previously; growing up in a magical home had its positives and negatives.

"Can I come, man?" Sirius asked. "I want to see things from a, er, Muggle perspective!" he said mockingly. Lily walked away hurt.

"I have the feeling there's something she isn't telling us."

"James, get a grip. Enjoy your time with her at the game," he said, laughing, then he got into his mum's car and they drove off.

The game came quicker than James would have liked. He and Lily still hadn't made up, so he couldn't consider the time coming to be a 'date' as much as he wanted it to. He was still angry at her, but it all came down to one thing: no matter how pissed off she made him, the next day nothing mattered, her beauty took away all the bad things in the world.

At five-thirty, Mr. Evans drove off with James towards Chambridge Park. It was the baseball park that the game would be taking place in. Lily's mother was bringing her, as that was the house she had been in for the day.

They took their seats and then Mr. Evans went to the front of the park to wait for Lily. James kept the seats saved, and couldn't stop thinking about Lily. Five minutes before the game, Mr. Evans showed up—without her.

"Where's Lily?" he asked Mr. Evans, who shrugged.

"Her mother's probably running late, the bloody woman."

"Oh," said James, disappointed.

However, the second the National Anthem started playing, Lily was standing right next to her father (he had an aisle seat). Once the anthem stopped, Lily was forced to go into the middle, right next to James. Once the home team (the British Badgers) were up, Lily asked her father if she could get some food, and he gave her some Muggle money.

"They don't take Galleons here darling," he said, then Lily walked off. "Oh, and get something for James here too honey."

"She doesn't know what I like, I'll go with her," said James, standing up and running up the stairs to catch up with Lily.

They got in the line, which was, at this time, at least a fifteen-minute wait.

"Why were you running late?" asked James.

"No reason you'd be interested in," said Lily, shunning him yet again. Remembering the scene in the Charms classroom, he waited silently with her for five minutes before speaking again.

"Who's that?" he asked her, pointing to a short man with a Badgers cap on.

"You two want to play?" he asked, coming over.

"Play what?" they asked simultaneously.

"Come with me," he said, bringing them to the dugout of the Badgers.

"You two are going to participate in the game here. Miss here will go first, and you Mr. will go second. All you're doing is spinning your head on a bat ten times then running around the bases, and as you reach the bases you get a prize. On first base there's an autographed yearbook. On second base there's a baseball cap for the Badgers, on third there's a bat and ball set, and on home plate there's some money, depending on how much time you end up with having left. Questions?" he asked, and Lily and James stared at each other.

"So what are your names?" asked the man.

"I'm Lily and this is James," said Lily, pointing at James.

"Okay. Once this inning is over you two will come out and compete.

The two stood in silence for a few minutes. As soon as the teams were off the field, the funny man brought Lily and James out to the field.

"Hello everyone and it's time for our Dizzy Bat Race," said the man, and everyone in the stands clapped. "Today our competitors are James and his girlfriend Lily!"

"I'm not his girlfriend," said Lily.

"She's not my girlfriend," said James at the same time.

"Oh, that takes away the excitement, but anyway, then this is just plain old James and Lily! Each of you will spin on the bat ten times…"

He repeated what he had told them earlier, but James wasn't listening. All he kept hearing in his head was Lily's quickness to say she wasn't his girlfriend.

"Ready, set, and GO!" said the man, and the two started spinning. James had decided to let Lily win, it would give her the pride she needed, and then maybe he could tell her later in life. As she put down the bat after her tenth time, James was starting on his ninth. By the time he started running, he tripped. He reached first base and started heading towards second base, but Lily was not only a faster runner but the spinning hadn't made her dizzy, whereas James tumbled forward from second and ran across the grass towards home. He tumbled on top of Lily once he made it there, and the audience laughed.

"Remind me not to do anything that would make me look like a fool again," said James, trying to laugh it off. However, Lily wasn't letting this go. She could easily make a fool of him right on the field, and he knew it. But she didn't.

"Our winner, Lily!" said the man, and Lily smiled. Suddenly, three other guys she didn't know had hopped onto the field, as if she was a veela. But they didn't know what veela were, so how could that be?

James pulled Lily up and carried her off the field and into the hall they had gotten down using. When he set her down on her feet again, she looked nearly dead, as she wasn't moving a muscle. He pulled out his wand and used the spell he had learned by reading one of the books Lily had given him the past year.

_"Ennervate!_" he whispered. As the park was a Muggle place, he knew any wand usage they saw wouldn't turn out well. Suddenly, Lily stirred, and saw where she was. She blushed furiously.

_Why is she blushing?_ James thought. _The only reason a girl blushes is when she's embarrassed or likes the guy, and I'm inclined to think the second choice. _

"Lil?" he asked. Lily stared at him, almost romantically. "Why are you blushing?"

"I don't know. Why were you holding me in your arms? I thought I made it clear—"

"At least you're still yourself," James said, smiling. Lily followed suit by smiling as she regained control of herself and they walked back into line for food.

After buying something to eat, a familiar face showed up by them, and only Lily was happy to see him—

"Severus?"

"Snape?"

"Hello Lily, Potter," said Snape, mouth watering.

"Don't say my first name so close to his last, it makes it sound like we're married."

"Is 'Hello Potter, Lily' okay?"

"No, that sounds like you're saying last names before first.

"God, you flip out over something as miniscule as this? Anyway, good job on that Dizzy rat base or whatever it was—"

"Dizzy Bat Race, yeah."

The rest of the night passed with Lily and Snape so close to holding hands James couldn't stand it. He ran off to find one of his friends also at the park—

"Sirius?"

"Hey, man! Good job!"

"What?"

"You got Lily to appear in public!"

"Oh yeah, that," said James, walking away.

"YOU SO LET HER WIN!" said Sirius, and James looked at him strangely.

"How did you—I mean, what gave you that idea?"

"It's written all over your face, man!"

"Oh. Anyway, yeah, I did. Why does it matter?"

"Didn't you hear? Snape asked Lily out, and—"

"What?"

"Snape asked Lily out!"

"WHAT DID SHE SAY?"

"No, from what I heard. I only heard her screaming from the opposite side of the ball park," said Sirius, laughing.

"That's good then!"

"What? Why is that 'good'? That means he likes her, you bloody chicken! If she only said no because she still feels too young, you have some competition.

"Competition? Between me and Snape? Come on, Sir, even she has more brains than that."

"Not if it means it'll get you off her case."

"What do you mean?"

"Look. There's an upside to having one of the girls in Lily's dorm who is Lily's best friend as your girl. Vanessa told me some things—"

"Like what?"

"Like what Lily's been muttering in her sleep lately, and like what Lily writes in her diary every night, and like—"

"What else?"

"—And like how she feels about Snape and yourself. She doesn't like how you nearly stalk her," said Sirius. James stepped back.

"I don't stalk her!"

"I'm just repeating what Lily said," said Sirius.

"I need to go—"

"No you don't, James. Leave Lily be, that's what she wants you to do," said Sirius as James walked away despite Sirius' callings "LEAVE LILY BE!"

When James returned to their seats, his seat was occupied…by a man named—

"SNAPE! Out of my seat NOW!"

"Rubbish! My seat, my Lily, my—"

"NOT YOUR LILY!"

"Then who does she belong to?"

"NO ONE!" screamed Lily and James simultaneously. Lily gave him one last look before running off.

The rest of the night was uneventful, unless you count the post-game fireworks.

The next few weeks flew by, including the Quidditch World Cup, which the Whimbourne Wasps won. Finally it was time for the new term, where the new classes would begin. James, Sirius, Remus, Lily, and Vanessa had all signed up for Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, and Arithmancy. Peter had only signed up for Divination.

At the first new class of term, Divination, James found himself both happy, angry, and completely confused.

This woman, this _Professor_, was insane. She went by the name Professor Trelawny, and it was her first year teaching.

"Broaden your minds!" she repeated for the tenth time that class.

"What a load of rubbish," said Lily, who had been told to sit next to James because 'they had all the power in the world together, but none apart.'

"Beat me with a wand, Lily Evans, demeaning a teacher!"

"I know you're loving this Potter, but I'm not."

"I know you're not!"

"I never said you didn't!"

"You are confusing."

"I know that."

"Do you like being confusing?"

"Do you like being confused?"

"What?"

"What what?"

"Okay, now you're really confusing me."

"Then my job is done."

With that, Lily stopped talking and making all the smart remarks.

The following day an owl came for Lily. After reading the letter, she ran up to the dorms, crying. Why? James wanted to know, but he wouldn't find out, as she refused to say.

It finally came time for the first Quidditch match of the year. Practices had been being held for at least five nights a week, as the captain was insanely obsessed with Quidditch. It was, in fact, his last year at Hogwarts, so it was only natural to be obsessed with it.

"Hello all, and welcome to today's Quidditch match! Today's game: Slytherin vs. Gryffindor!

"The Bludgers are up, followed by the Snitch. There's the Quaffle, it's Lily Evans of Gryffindor. She passes to Vanessa Prewitt, back to Evans, then Potter, then Prewitt, and its IN! Ten-nil for Gryffindor!" said the commentator, Robert Jordan.

Gryffindor fans erupted in the stands and no one saw the Slytherin seeker diving for the Snitch—no one except James.

"JONATHON, GO! IT'S THE SNITCH!"

All eyes were suddenly on Jonathon and the Slytherin Seeker—Lucius Malfoy. Lucius had a good head start, but Jonathon had the better broom—he was catching up—

A Bludger came out of nowhere, obviously hit by one of the Slytherin Beaters, and hit Jonathon in the arm. He held onto his arm as he grabbed the golden air in front of him and tumbled to the floor, Golden Snitch in fingers.

"160 to nil, GRYFFINDOR WINS! NOW LET'S HEAR IT FOR OUR FAVORITE TEAM!"

"Jordan—"

"Sorry, Professor, won't happen again."

McGonagall looked at him strangely.

"At least not today."

The team walked back up to Gryffindor tower after Wood's pep talk to find McGonagall standing there, looking very grim.

"Lily Evans?"

"Yes, Professor?" she replied, and McGonagall led her out of Gryffindor tower. James listened using his Eavesdropping hex again.

"It appears that your father has passed away, Miss Evans."

With that, Lily was already running into the common room.

James followed her until he could no more—as she was in the third year girls' dorms, he didn't want to make a fool of himself yet again.

For the next few weeks, no one was able to get Lily out of her room. She sat there, wasting away time, sleeping most of it. Every day, without fail, Lily was nowhere else to be found but her bed, and if she wasn't there she was in the bathrooms.

She went to one class a day maximum, and that was on her good days. As Christmas came, still no one was able to get her out of her dorm.

That is, until Christmas day, when Gryffindor tower was completely empty. Her father's funeral was set for December 29, so she went home for the holidays. Her mother, the parent that owned the house next to James, was also rarely seen. It seemed that her father had caught pneumonia and couldn't rid himself of it. Her mother was now also suffering from pneumonia as well.

On Christmas, Lily had received several well-wisher presents, however didn't accept them graciously. She couldn't take it when everyone thought she needed help—she found those people to be the ones in need of help.

However, after her father's funeral, an owl arrived for Lily. It was from James, who was vacationing in Iceland.

_Lily,_

_I know I'm probably one of the last people you feel like hearing from, _he had written, _but listen to me. Don't let this get to you. Knowing him, he wouldn't want sympathy, same as you. Just know that people are indeed thinking of you._

_James_

Upon the new term, Professor Dumbledore made an important announcement.

"There is a new class that can be taken," he said. "It is an invention class, where you can create your own hexes and charms. It is only available for the completion of this year and the next four years, as that is as long as the teacher will be with us. That is all. Anyone wishing to sign up see their head of house. You must be in third year currently to sign up."

James ran to McGonagall and nearly knocked her down to make sure his name was on the list.

Lily, Vanessa, Sirius, and Remus had all ran up to the front as well. It was then that James heard Lily's stunning new news.

"We're moving," she said, and James couldn't help but stare at her.

"WHAT?!" he said, quite upset.

"My dad found a better place at the other side of town…so we're moving."

"Oh," said James, now upset. He had given up on Lily awhile ago—or had he?

As the new class, 'Invention', started the following week, they had a quite interesting first class…

James took to the invention part right away, and after one class he already had created a hex—one that would change anything you point your wand at to turn into shampoo when you said the spell "_Ophomas_!"

He started using this spell on Snape in large quantities—Snape had to escape and eat a half hour beforehand or Potter would have cursed his food and goblet.

Lily created a charm. When you said something, it would write down what you said. It came to be very useful when your hand was tired.

Sirius had invented a hex—it would make the recipient start giving someone a lap dance—the person of the same sex nearest them. It made for a very interesting prank.

Remus invented a spell—but it had to be used with caution. It was a Time-Travel spell, and it took you twenty years ahead of your time. He couldn't tell Sirius or James about it, as he knew they would immediately jump at the chance of seeing their future. But Remus let it slip that he had created such a spell accidentally—and James and Sirius did as he expected—jumped at the oppurtunity.

"Time travel could really affect our futures," said Remus, but his friends wouldn't listen. They used the spell, grabbing Remus so he would come with them, and they were off in Hogwarts, twenty years from then.

They were in the Gryffindor Common Room. A boy with messy jet-black hair was standing there ahead of all of them.

"Bloody hell James, he looks just like you!"

And so he did. The boy was a spitting image of James, except his eyes. "She has Lily's eyes though," said James, looking at Sirius.

"I think this is your son," said Sirius, as James faced him.

"But that would mean the son is Lily's too—the eyes he has only belong to her."

"HARRY POTTER!" screamed a boy from the third year.

"What is it 'Mione?" asked this boy Harry.

"Harry, eh? Not my first choice," said James, and before Remus could tell him something of importance, Harry and the girl turned their way.

"What is this Harry?"

"I don't know," said Harry, and James, Sirius, and Remus stared at him.

"Remus, you didn't say we could _communicate _with the future!" said Sirius happily.

James looked at Harry, surveying him.

"Black, may I say you look a whole lot younger than in those WANTED posters. I need to take you to Professor Dumbledore, it's dementor's kiss for you," said Harry, and Sirius looked at James.

"I'm thirteen bloody years old, I haven't done anything yet!"

"Uh, yeah you have. You sold my mum and dad to Voldemort, don't deny it!"

"Harry?" said James, and Harry looked at him.

"DAD?!" asked Harry, confused.

"Yeah, I guess we'd better be going—"

"—Now?"

"Yeah," said James, turning to Remus. "What's the spell to get us out of here?"

"The exact reverse of the spell to come here," said Remus.

"Harry, can I have a slip of parchment please?"

"Sure—"

"Harry, how can your dead father be here?"

"I don't know," said Harry, as James, Sirius, and Remus all read the spell backwards and disappeared, opening their eyes in their own time once more.

"Wait—did I hear Harry correctly?"

"Which part?"

"That I die."

"Yeah, and something about me being on the run from Azkaban or something of the like—strange, strange boy."

"Yeah. Strange."

The rest of the year passed with no new occurrences, unless you count how James had started to leave Lily be, not annoying her 24/7.

When James arrived at King's Cross station at the end of the year (Gryffindor won the House Cup yet again, third year running), he saw Lily go off with her friends and parents, heading home with his own.

"We have new neighbors—it seems the others left," said his mum, and they left to head home.


	5. Author's Note

This is an author's spot until further notice, once I get more stuff I'll post it...my chapters are long on this fanfic and I had some reviews to answer...so here goes.

cutee: Thanks for your review--I will definitely keep going, the long chapters hold me back--so the updates aren't as frequent as I'd wish either, but there's not much I can do about it.

padfoots-angellover: No, I do not know someone named Danielle Smith, I just picked a name out of the blue--since Smith is a common last name I just put it together with a 'pretty' first name. (most of the girls I know named Danielle have the appearance-is-everything attitude)

elwoodsluver: Thanks about your comments--we all want to know what happened, this is just another one of my points of view...as for taking it a bit slower, it will remain like this (skipping around a bit) for now, until about fifth or sixth year--then I'll have stuff to talk about, so I won't need a bunch of 'fluff' to fill up the space.

Again, thanks for the reviews so far...I don't know if I should continue--PLEASE leave comments and reviews for this, I don't know what to add, take away, what to do with this fic--the only time I really have ideas for are fifth/sixth year and up...so comment so I know if I should even continue this fanfic.

Once I get more for the fic it will be posted in this place (well the comments will remain but there will actually be text here.)

Thanks again, and REVIEW!!!


End file.
